The NFL is all about business. Every year every player is playing for the team to win games, but there is always the thought about improving their value and making more money for themselves and their families. While every player can see their contract fade away quickly, some players are staring a decision down faster than others. Which Chicago Bears players are fighting for their contract lives this offseason?
4. Will the Chicago Bears extend Keenan Allen?
The Chicago Bears did not have to give up much in terms of trade equity to acquire Keenan Allen. Two of the main reasons are his age and his contract status. Allen is set to make over $20MM this season and next season he will be a free agent.
Allen is also 32 years old. He had a solid season in 2024, but the cliff can come at any time when you hit that age. When will it come for Allen? The Bears may be worried it is coming soon because they have not given Allen a contract extension.
This could be because Allen still views himself as one of the premier wide receivers, but the Bears realize that any new deal will be paying for the last years of his career. Does Allen show enough to get a new deal, or does he play so well that he prices himself out of Chicago? Of course, the alternative is that he struggles, which could lead to him re-signing for cheap, or even getting no interest to come back.
3. Braxton Jones
Braxton Jones is not quite in the same spot as the others on the list, but he is fighting for a contract in the same way. Jones is entering his third year. His fourth will be the last on his rookie deal. So, while the Bears cannot even begin talking to Jones about a contract until next year, this is the make-or-break season for him.
The Bears drafted Kiran Amegadije in the third round, and he has the makeup of a future left tackle. They have to be thinking that they can get two cheap years out of Braxton Jones and then move on to two more years of a cheap rookie salary with Amegadije.
Of course, Jones can change that with his play. If Jones goes into next year without a contract, it is hard to see him returning. He will be a young offensive tackle with four years of experience as a starter. Those players get overpaid in free agency any time they enter the market.
So, the Bears are going to have to decide whether they want to build with him or let 2025 be a chance for him to audition for new teams. This is a big year for Braxton Jones.
2. Teven Jenkins
The odds are that this is the last season of Teven Jenkins with the Bears. First, Ryan Poles is not the person who drafted Jenkins, he inherited him from the Ryan Pace regime. There are very few Pace players left, and Jenkins is likely to be the next one to leave.
Since Poles was hired the team has done everything to show that they do not trust Jenkins. They moved him from left tackle to right tackle and then to right guard. Then, they signed a right guard and moved him to left guard. Throughout the entire experience, Jenkins has been fighting through different injuries.
Now, it is his last year on his rookie contract. As we noted with Jones, if Jenkins enters the year without a deal, he is most likely gone. If Jenkins plays well, he will have experience, and draft pedigree, and another General Manager will likely have higher regard for him. He may get paid. If Jenkins struggles then he proved Poles correct and is not worth bringing back.
Jenkins may find a spot where he plays just well enough that Chicago offers a deal, but not too well that he would get paid. Still, that feels like a rare and unlikely chance. Jenkins is playing for a contract this year, but who knows who he will be getting it from?
1. Khalil Herbert
Khalil Herbert is another case of a player with plenty on the line, but it may not be the Bears who give him his next contract. Herbert got the chance to carry the load for the team last year. He got hurt and struggled when he came back. In total, he cracked 100 yards just three times.
Then, the Bears added D’Andre Swift this offseason. Swift has a lot in common with Herbert and even has more ability in the passing game. This makes it hard to see Herbert getting a lot of prime opportunities if any at all.
So, he has to make the most of every touch he gets. For a big play hitter that could be a win for the Bears. Swift is signed through next year and Roschon Johnson is in the second year of his rookie salary deal. So, Herbert probably would not want to come back no matter his performance next year. However, if he wants to get a chance to start elsewhere, he needs to play well.